Places to see in ( Edinburgh - UK ) Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Places to see in ( Edinburgh - UK ) Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Camera Obscura and World of Illusions is a major tourist attraction in the Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by entrepreneur Maria Theresa Short in 1835 and a key site in Patrick Geddes development of regional planning, it is located on the Castlehill section of the Royal Mile next to Edinburgh Castle.
In the early 18th century, the Edinburgh instrument maker Thomas Short leased some land on Calton Hill to display his instruments to the public. As his lease stipulated female relatives of Thomas could not inherit the building and its contents, his wife and children did not inherit it when he died in 1788. In 1827, Maria Theresa Short returned to Edinburgh from the West Indies claiming to be Thomas Short’s daughter and attempted to claim his ‘Great Telescope’ for her inheritance. Despite strong competition from other parties, she received the telescope and set up ‘Short's Popular Observatory’ in 1835, housed in a wooden and stone building next to the National Monument on Calton Hill. She exhibited many scientific instruments and kept her Observatory open till 9pm each evening.″
After this very popular observatory was pulled down by authorities against her protests in 1851, she moved to Castlehill. In 1852, she bought the Laird of Cockpen’s townhouse, adding two storeys to create Short's Observatory, Museum of Science and Art, in existence from 1853 to 1892. The tenement is thought to be the original mansion of the Ramsays of Dalhousie (the Lairds of Cockpen), turned into small flats in the 18th century. The main attraction in Short's Observatory was the camera obscura occupying the topmost room. Her husband continued to run the attraction after Mrs. Short died in 1869.
In 1892, Patrick Geddes, a pioneering Scottish urban planner, sociologist, and ecologist, assumed management of the site, renamed it the Outlook Tower, and organized it as a museum and urban study center demonstrating his philosophy of planning, which was based on comprehensive surveys of the site, city, and region. He installed a series of exhibits on progressively broader geographic themes as one ascended the tower — first the world on the ground floor, then Europe, the English-speaking countries, Scotland, and Edinburgh — with the camera obscura itself continuing to project a real-time image of the city at the very top.[2] People from all walks of life were invited to come to the tower to study and learn about their city.
The museum closed after Geddes' death in 1932. It was purchased by Edinburgh University in 1966 as the home for a proposed Patrick Geddes Center and archive, but the project was greatly scaled back after the university closed its regional planning department. In 1982, the building was sold to a private owner, though a one-room Geddes exhibit remained on the fourth floor.
The tower, with its six floors of interactive exhibitions, is still open to the public, making it the oldest purpose built attraction in the city, and one of the oldest in the United Kingdom. Nowadays there are passing references to Maria Short and Patrick Geddes in the presentation on the top floor where the Camera Obscura is still in use to project a virtual tour of the city for visitors, and also on the rooftop terrace with its views of Edinburgh and telescopes. The floors beneath the Camera Obscura hold the World of Illusions, which offers interactive exhibits demonstrating aspects of optical illusions, light, colour. There are also puzzles, a mirror maze, and a vortex tunnel. Although the project is primarily a tourist attraction, it also serves as a learning centre about optical illusions, holograms, the origins of photography and about Edinburgh itself.
( Edinburgh - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Edinburgh . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Edinburgh - UK
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Falkirk to Edinburgh Canal Boating (20x timelapse)
Timelapse video of our entire canal boat trip from Falkirk to Edinburgh and back, including rides on the Falkirk Wheel. Sorry about the butt-shots...I occasionally forgot about the GoPro and stood in front of it.
Highlights:
00:01:09 - Up the wheel.
00:03:45 - Up the locks.
00:06:29 - Through a tunnel (bonus kayakers after the tunnel).
00:09:08 - Stopping for groceries.
00:12:57 - First night parking (bonus feeding ducks/geese).
00:13:56 - Aqueduct.
00:15:57 - Bridge with more kayakers.
00:16:36 - Tying up in Linlithgow to get water and feed the ducks (also a great place to get a beer).
00:18:01 - If you get out early on your first day and are willing to go into dusk, you can probably make it to this mooring in Linlithgow for the night. But it's a trudge, which is probably why that first night parking cove exists.
00:19:55 - Canal bistro (The Park Bistro We didn't stop. It's on the left.
00:21:25 - Passing another boat coming the opposite direction. Because people have asked. There's plenty of room in most parts.
00:23:44 - Surreal trees, a bridge, clouds mirrored in the canal.
00:24:55 - An example of mooring to the bank in an unofficial spot, using the plank and stakes (Winchburgh--also a good place for a beer, but everyone at the bar will noticeably notice that y'aint from 'round here...or however the Scottish spell that).
00:28:16 - Passing a canal dredger (mildly interesting, if you're into that).
00:29:39 - Aqueduct and overnight mooring point.
00:31:41 - Creepy Santa's Castle on an Island. We were horrified and intrigued enough to actually stop, back up and circle around the island.
00:32:37 - I jump out and walk along the towpath. It's such an amazing resource. You can easily hop off, walk, and hop back on at any bridge where the canal necks down.
00:33:43 - I hop back on and then we have to wait for the old people's tea boat to turn around.
00:37:52 - Aqueduct over a freeway. Juxtaposition. (see for another view of the crossing).
00:39:14 - Starting to get urban as we head into Edinburgh.
00:45:11 - Ending in Edinburgh, with lift-bridge. You call ahead to get them to lift it for you.
00:45:49 - Turning around in Edinburgh (after a day or so of beers, notice we bounce a bit as we turn around) to head home.
00:46:20 - Stopping for water and waiting for the lift-bridge to leave Edinburgh.
00:50:01 - Oops! This is what happens when there's not enough room for boats to pass. We needed to back up and wait. What you can't tell from this silent timelapse is that, according with British Waterways rules (srsly, read the handbook before you go, it's simple stuff), we sound the horn at each bridge. Oncoming boats do the same, which is why we knew they were there.
01:00:41 - Stopping in Port Buchan, Broxburn to get attacked by swans while we try to get water (the boat hire will probably warn you not to stop here overnight because impish vandals will throw rocks at your boat).
01:10:14 - Getting water in Linlithgow (yeah, we bumped into that guy's boat. Oops).
01:10:59 - Don obsessively rocking as we refill our water in Linlithgow.
01:16:03 - WTF? Is that a boat sideways across the canal? A couple got stoned out of their gourds and got their boat stuck across the canal. I hopped out and un-stuck it for them. The woman tried to keep going and got a short ways but, in her shouted words, she cannae doo it, so I mooored them on the bank and we continued past them without further ado. For all I know, they might still be there.
01:22:41 - Back through the tunnel.
01:24:20 - Waiting for a boat to pass on our way down. The wind blew us into the bank and it took some effort to get going again.
01:25:53 - Down the locks.
01:28:16 - Down the wheel.
Dailly Parish - Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Dailly Parish is a small, rural parish located in the valley of the Water of Girvan in southwest Scotland. To the average visitor Dailly is a pretty country parish. For me, it is where my Wasson ancestors came from.
The parish features a handful of castles and estates, the ruins of a church that dates back to about 1200 AD, historic sites and a number of walking paths, some featuring views that reach Ailsa Craig, an island 10 miles offshore in the Firth of Clyde. Ailsa Craig is actually part of Dailly Parish; the landlocked parish was once much larger and extended to the coast, but parish lands were used to create Girvan and Barr parishes.
The Photos (in order)
E10A3485 - Dalquharran Castle was completed in 1790; when it passed out of the family, the roof was removed and the place left to fall to ruin in order to reduce the tax burden; the castle ruins sit on a hill just to the south of the village of Dailly
E10A3517 - The current parish church in the village of Dailly was built in 1766, replacing an earlier church built in 1690; church records report the births, marriages and deaths of my Watson/Wason ancestors and relatives
U12A0264 - Old Dailly Parish Church was established around 1200 AD, but was left to fall to ruins in the late 1600s when a new parish church was built in what is today the village of Dailly; some of my Watson/Wason ancestors are buried in graves at the left side of the photo
U12A0248 - A view of the small village of Old Dailly; the round island in the distant right is Aisla Craig; the white house at the left was once the site of the village smithy; my Watson ancestors were blacksmiths there dating back to the end of the 1600s
U12A0411 - Much of the open lands in the parish are used for grazing
U12A0450 - Kilkerran Estate is one of the great manors and castles in Dailly Parish; historically, Kilkerran is home to Clan Fergusson; however, this is not the original location of Kilkerran; this was once the site of Barclanachan, a Kennedy family estate; Drumellan estate was absorbed into Kilkerran in the 1800s, and the Drumellan castle was torn down; for a time my Watson ancestors were farm workers at Drumellan
U12A0210 - Maxwellston Hill dominates the southwestern part of the parish; the remains of a Pictish fort are located at the summit, an ideal location given its outstanding panoramic views; the walking trail from the village of Dailly to the summit is rough and quite boggy in places
U12A0556 - I took this picture of the village of Dailly on a hike up to the top of Maxwellston Hill; the Firth of Clyde and the mountains of the Scottish Highlands can be seen in the distance
Urban Cycling Guide - Shared Areas
This clip from the Urban Cycling Guide shows how to safely and considerately navigate through busy shared pedestrian and cycle areas. Note a bell is often useful in these environments, it lets people know you are there!
Brought to you from the road safety partnerships across Yorkshire & the Humber. This guide will help to equip you with the techniques and information you need to help keep you safe on two wheels in the urban environment. Please remember you are responsible for your own safety and this DVD is intended purely as a guide only. For more information contact your local road safety partnership, find contact details at roadsafetygb.org.uk
A free physical copy of the DVD is avaliable at cycling shops around the region.
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Explore East Renfrewshire
Take a tour of East Renfrewshire and find out why it's a great place to visit.
Parish Church Kirkliston Scotland
Tour Scotland video of the Parish Church on visit to Kirkliston near Edinburgh. Parts of this Scottish church, the oldest surviving building in Kirkliston, are over 800 years of age. Originally belonging to the order of Knights Templar, the village of Kirkliston was historically called Temple Liston.
Ravenscraig New Town.wmv
Ravenscraig was one of the largest derelict sites in Europe measuring over 1125 acres in size, an area equivalent to 700 football pitches or twice the size of Monaco.
Ravenscraig is now planned to be the countrys first New Town in more than 50 years.This is one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe, covering 450 hectares (1,125 acres) - an area equivalent to 13 London Canary Wharfs.
WCRC 47832/47854 (TnT) on 5Z35 SRPS ECS | Coatbridge Central (29/05/16)
After heading the Grosmont & Whitby Railtour Daytrip for SRPS on the 28th, 47832 & 47854 Diamond Jubilee are seen with the 08:00 (Gourock - Bo'ness Jn Exchange Siding) empties, giving it a touch of throttle!
47854+47802 1Z81 Cuddington 9/9/15
The Conwy Valley Explorer, Blaenau Ffestiniog - Scarborough. 47854 climbs the approach to Cuddington Station on the Mid-Cheshire Line.